Morning
by HybridKiller
Summary: OneShot In the freezing depths of December, Raven was troubled. The night before had created an unexpected situation. She was worried, and only time could tell if fate would be kind.


A/N: Here's a quick little story. I've been pretty busy with college work and stress knows no bounds. But, I found the time to write. Please enjoy, and review if you wish.

---

Morning

---

She felt her toes press against the chilled carpet. It was early in the morning and hardly the time for her feet to scurry across the tower in a hushed sprint. But she knew she must. There was a compulsive desire in her heart, screaming to her that she should reach her destination before it was too late. Of course, late was a figure of speech with intended pun. It was already late. It was nearing three in the morning and she hadn't gone to bed. Sleep was not an issue for Raven, who had gone many a night without resting her eyes. She often meditated and collected her thoughts to make up for lost sleep. The act of sleep was merely formality to the girl, and as a result she had progressed to the point of borderline insomniac. Well, she never said she was perfect.

Raven felt the icy air of a winter morning hit her skin. It had snowed for many a day, leading up to what seemed like a permanent lining of snow stacked a foot off the ground. Titan's tower wasn't accustomed to snow. This became apparent when the ceilings of their tower began to leak. She carefully crept over a bucket laid out on the floor to catch fallen water and continued her journey.

She bit her bottom lip as she paced the corridor, exploring the endless hallway with blistering ease. This was her third time making the trek, finding her way to the roof. This was the third time she had left her room when everyone else would surely be asleep. She wanted to feel the moonlight upon her skin. The roof was her haven, and every step she wasted getting there was a step longer she drifted through agony. She tugged the lining of her cloak tighter around her body and crossed her arms. It was freezing and now she knew Cyborg forgot to turn on the heat. She didn't need a thermometer to estimate a temperature below fifty. It didn't help that the weathered walls had grown weak over the years, to the point where the metal bearings were rusted and there were cracks upon the walls. To her luck, none of this had helped keep the cold outside and the heat inside.

Raven turned a sharp left and raised her head to gaze at the splendor of the sight before her. The metallic stairs leading up to the roof stared her down and threatened a menacing glare. She feared what awaited her on the other side, but she couldn't turn back now. Courage began to boiling under her skin. She ventured onward.

She was barefoot and the metal steps were so cold each step was almost painful. She quickened her pace and passed the stairs, until her hand was on the doorknob separating her from the outside world. She grasped it and quickly recoiled her hand. She bit her lip harder, as she once more reached to grasp the icy handle. She bore its slick pain and with a click, she opened the door. She felt the rush of the winter elements slam against her hair.

It was windy and the smell of frost numbed her nose. Her hands shook and her feet wished they were bundled in multiple layers of socks. But she shook her head and ventured forward. Being warm was a luxury. It was a luxury she neither deserved nor could afford. Time was of the essence and nothing could stop her now. She spread her arms wide and let the gust of wind shove her to and fro. Her movements were not elegant and it certainly didn't resemble dance, but her childish frenzy was the feeling of freedom against her skin. She was outside and playing in the snow. It was an act she rarely got the chance to do.

The hood of Raven's cloak caught a pillow of air and flung off her head. In seconds, her ears were free and the no longer muffled sounds of a wintry storm echoed through her ears. She felt speckles of snow pat her head and get lost in her hair. She looked up at the blackened sky above and marvel at the fallen orbs of white. Winter was beautiful and she loved it. If only it was forty degrees warmer and she could enjoy it from inside…

Raven gripped the edge of her hood and flung it over her head. She used her right hand to steady her hood and keep it from blowing back around her shoulders. Then, she squinted her eyes and began her new trek. In minutes, she was at the very edge of the tower, guarded by a concrete rail five feet high, overseeing the island below. The water had frozen and white littered the landscape in every direction. She cast her gaze from the scenery to the rooftop and began to scout for the tell-tale signs of being too late. Her sight shifted from the left corner to the right, and then from the center back to the door that she had entered from. Her let a held breath escape her lips and watched the misty essence dissipate into the air. She had made it on time. She was not late. And look, she had made it with a minute to spare.

She watched the door open and a shadowed figure emerge. She quickly turned her head, hoping he had not seen her gazing at him. Raven took her focus back at Gotham City, enjoying the view. Streetlights lit up in the distance looked like fiery spheres of emerald illuminating the city. The horizon was a beautiful tint of red and purple, much like the lingering sheets of sunset that had captivated the sky only hours prior. Now, the lights had faded and they were hardly noticeable. The snow-filled clouds had built their own optical illusion, trapping colors which should no longer exist in the sky.

A final gust of wind shot past her head and swept her hood off her head. Her hair flew in front of her eyes and snow blew into her face. The best she could do was shield her eyes as the breeze lingered in the air for a moment longer, until it subsided. She tucked her hair behind her ears and once more raised her hood over her head. This time, she tilted her hood a little lower, so that the material almost covered her eyes. She liked it better this way, because she felt like she was hiding. She had no reason to hide, and yet somewhere deep in her heart, she felt better when she was in solitude. Perhaps she really wanted to be alone. Or perhaps not. The sounds she heard next jarred her from her thoughts.

She heard the slight echo of footsteps bicker behind her. Each foot seemed to fight one another, where his right foot created a large clamor against the metal and his left foot a slight clink in comparison. She had come to know this limp well, for it was the third time she had heard it. He limped because he had hurt himself the last time they had gone out to fight crime. It was a battle against Slade, and he had been careless in his attempt to fight. His left leg carried a knife's tip, as it took every ounce of his pride to keep himself standing as the metal called his leg home.

She had felt partially responsible for his wound, for she had been fighting the robot who threw the blade. Had she been a little quicker, and a little wiser, she might have destroyed the machine before he got hurt. But she hadn't been quicker. She hadn't been wiser. She had lacked the skills required to save her own companion. Soon after, his response broke her heart. Whereas she knew the error she had made: letting the blade fly past her head as opposed to using her powers to stop it, or watching Slade's contraption throw the blade as opposed to stopping the creation from throwing it, or any number of things she could have done, she didn't. She stood and watched and it had resulted in a casualty. It was completely her fault in every single way. Whereas she knew she had made an error, and Robin should have blamed her for it and forced mandatory training upon her person, she was never subjected to this treatment.

Instead, his words broke her heart. The wounded had taken it upon himself and called it his own fault. He chuckled as he took his right hand and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, claiming that he should have dodged it. He blamed his own childish behavior on the incident, and Raven had been saved from impending punishment. She felt guilty. She felt as if his pain was hers to bear. She never got to make it up to him. Perhaps now, that time might come.

His footsteps continued to reverberate closer. A loud thump, and then a soft one. She grimaced every time she heard his soft footstep resonance against the metal rooftop. Surely, it was her fault. Surely, he blamed her for it. But if he did, he never showed it. All that remained on his face was a smile, as if she had done everything in the world to save him and it hadn't been enough. He was such a fool…

His footsteps came to a halt and she knew he stood behind her. The boy was staring at her back, probably peering at the girl and finding his words. She knew he would speak, but when? When would he utter words? What might he say? She focused on the cars driving on the bridge overlooking the city. Each speck of a car was a different color, filling a rainbow of paint. The colors contrast the gray night and put her at ease.

And then it happened. She heard him clear his throat, and soon he spoke. "Raven, you're out again."

She nodded her head, but kept her back to him. "I am."

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, "Did you try this time?"

She said, "I'll sleep later. Right now sleep doesn't matter."

He shook his head in disagreement, "But Rae, it does matter. This is the third day I've found you out here. You're not sleeping! It's totally not healthy…"

"It doesn't have to be healthy." Raven argued, "I just can't sleep." She felt her mind wander after saying these words. In the sanctity of her mind, she finished her own sentence, "besides, I wouldn't be able to meet you here if I wasn't awake." But she knew she couldn't say a thing like that to him. She didn't want him to think he was the reason she was getting so few hours of rest. Or that she actually enjoyed his company.

He broke her thoughts by speaking once more. "To be honest, I didn't expect you to be out here today. Do you come here every night?" He paused and took a step closer to her. "It sure is absolutely amazing out here!" He limped to the edge next to Raven, "I mean, look at all the small people down there. Makes ya feel really big, eh?"

Raven groaned, "You know, you've said that every night now. That isn't funny."

He shrugged, "But you laughed the second time I did it."

"And I got bored with the third time." She turned to face him. He turned to face her. They stared at each other and she began to feel her cheeks grow hot. He looked so serious and so mature as he stared upon her features. It made her feel awkward and shy. She wanted to turn and hide her face even further behind her hood, but she fought against the urge. Instead, she masked her insecurities by gazing upon his face. She looked at his nose, and his eyes and his lips. Her eyes lingered at his lips, before her cheeks burned even more and she quickly glanced back at his eyes.

She took her own lip between her teeth and began to chew as she thought about what had happened the night before. As luck would have it, she was very surprised he had returned. Hell, she was even more surprised she herself had come. Raven had done her best to evade him all of yesterday. She had done her best to hide and collect her emotions. She didn't know what to do. She still couldn't believe what she had done yesterday. It was a lapse of judgment and an embarrassing one at that. What did he think of her? Surely, if he's still standing before her, he wasn't repulsed…

She sighed and said, "About last night…" Her words echoed throughout the bitter sky, and the two of them remained silent. The boy cast his glance away from Raven, and peered over the city once more. She still kept her eyes on him, judging his actions. He was as embarrassed as she was. Somehow that made it all right. He wasn't laughing. He wasn't joking around or faking his feelings. Yesterday, she had caught him off guard and that brought a sense of satisfaction to her heart. She had caught him—him of all people—off guard. And surely, she was the first to do so in such a manner.

He turned his gaze and looked at her. She took this opportunity to once more begin her sentence. "About last night…the kiss…I didn't…"

But before she could finish her words, Beast Boy returned the favor. He closed the distance between them and took her lips captive. Soon, there was nothing more that needed to be said.

The bitter cold vanished into the warm night as the two Titans enjoyed the morning snow.


End file.
